What could be the basis of our having more inherent value than animals? Their lack of reason, or autonomy, or intellect? Only if we are willing to make the same judgment in the case of humans who are similarly deficient.
Interpretation
The quote questions the basis of human superiority over animals based on traits like reason and intellect.
Tom Regan's quote challenges the notion that humans have inherent value over animals due to characteristics like reason, autonomy, or intellect. By questioning this assumption, he prompts us to consider the moral implications of how we value all beings, including those humans who may also lack these attributes, thus advocating for a more egalitarian perspective on life and its inherent worth.
In practice
During a debate on animal rights, this quote can highlight the inconsistency in how we evaluate beings.
The other animals humans eat, use in science, hunt, trap, and exploit in a variety of ways, have a life of their own that is of importance to them apart from their utility to us. They are not only in the world, they are aware of it. What happens to them matters to them. Each has a life that fares better or worse for the one whose life it is.
It is not larger, cleaner cages that justice demands...but empty cages; not traditional animal agriculture but a complete end to all commerce in the flesh of dead animals; not more humane hunting and trapping, but the total eradication of these barbarous practices.
It is not an act of kindness to treat animals respectfully. It is an act of justice.
I would encourage them never to forget that they were not always vegans. The self-righteousness of the recently converted hurts, it does not help, other animals.
Cynics regarded everybody as equally corrupt... Idealists regarded everybody as equally corrupt, except themselves.
Let the voice of the people be heard!
If _x000D_ we continue to teach about tolerance and intolerance _x000D_ instead _x000D_ of good and evil, we will end up with tolerance of _x000D_ evil.
Holiness has nothing to do with what we know and everything to do with Who we know.
We are what we imagine. Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves. Our best destiny is to imagine, at least, completely, who and what, and that we are. The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined.
The Autocrat of all the Russias will resign his crown, and proclaim his subjects free republicans sooner than will our American masters voluntarily give up their slaves.
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